Packed house for gun show 'a sign of the times'

DALTON -- The common theme at this past weekend's gun, knife and military show in Dalton was: "it's a sign of the times."

The Buckeye Event Center was packed to the rafters soon after the doors opened Saturday morning, just as gun enthusiasts have done at similar shows across Ohio and the United States. With all that has gone on recently, gun shows aren't falling on hard times, but instead, are prospering.

"Gun shows are more popular now because people are concerned about their 2nd Amendment rights," said Dalton show promoter John Salvador. "Plus, this show has become a little more entrenched here. The show has grown. This is one of the biggest buildings in Ohio for a gun show."

Vendors were happy with the Saturday traffic at the show, with some estimating upwards of 3,000 people in the Buckeye Event Center at its busiest.

"We were full," said Buckeye Event Center owner Willie Miller. "This is definitely the biggest gun show we've ever had, and part of that is a sign of the times.

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"And, I think it's good for the area," Miller added, noting the income it produces for Dalton-area businesses. "We had some parking issues, but we worked through it."

While gun enthusiasts are taking advantage of shows to stock up on ammunition and firearms, this weekend's event also featured knives and military artifacts, as well as a World War II Iwo Jima display by the Marlboro Volunteers, a club of WWII veterans.

"There's a lot of history here," said Salvador.

Aaron Chizmadia, a gun enthusiast and avid hunter from Dalton, had a small booth to sell off some guns and talk shop with those visiting the show. Not a big-time dealer, Chizmadia says he does two shows a year.

"I like to come here and talk to the people who enjoy the hobby like me, who like guns," said Chizmadia. "There's a lot of information here. I buy and sell to make enough to fund my hobby."

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And Chizmadia's main hobby is hunting.

"To me, a gun is a tool," said Chizmadia. "This AR 15 is set up to hunt coyotes. Some people like hunting with a gun that's 100 years old. This is a big area where guys hunt."

While Salvador said vendors were "having a good show" and buyers were purchasing guns, he noted that the rush of a month ago to acquire assault rifles before a possible government ban has since subsided.

"Assault rifle prices have gone way up," said Salvador. "The first couple of weeks (after the Newtown shooting) they were a high commodity, but now buyers don't want to pay the price."

Trent Hanzie of Creston was one of the patrons who picked up a gun at the show, a .22 handgun, filling out the necessary paperwork to pass the national gun check system.

"I like to shoot, and a .22 is more reasonable to shoot," said Hanzie.

Bill Eyring, owner of Bill's Sporting Goods, and who had one of the biggest displays of guns at the show, was kept busy with paperwork Saturday afternoon, but that was a good thing as far as he's concerned.